Customer Reviews

Smoke: A Global History of Smoking

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SMOKE: A GLOBAL HISTORY OF SMOKING is an entertaining, informative and absorbing book that describes and illustrates the international human preoccupation with smoking over the past six centuries, beginning with Columbus in 1492.

The introduction, written by Sander L. Gilman and Zhou Xun, draws the reader into tobacco's story from the first paragraph. The large, black, beautifully bound and richly presented 400-page volume contains hundreds of illustrations (both in black & white and in color). The artwork is employed to enhance and clarify the multiple essays provided by a variety of qualified writers.

The first several chapters are devoted to smoking in history and culture. These encompass the Middle East, Far East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and other portions of the globe, accompanied by many unusual photos, paintings and lithographs. "The Pleasures and Perils of Smoking in Early Modern England", "The Opium Den in Victorian London" and "The Cocaine Experience" are among the chapters included in this section.

"Smoking in the Arts" is especially enjoyable and explains how the use of tobacco products has been incorporated into various forms of entertainment including art, music, opera, theater and movies, punctuated by photographs of famous actors and actresses.

As the reader continues, "Smoking, Gender and Ethnicity" explores the relationship between social attitudes and smoking. This section shows the ways tobacco art and advertising reflected on women, African American and Native Indian stereotypes in the nineteenth-century and promoted anti-Semitism in Europe.

Although the entire book supplies informative and interesting content in an entertaining manner, I found myself devoting my undivided attention to "Smoking: the "Burning Issue", addressing current smoking issues. Four of the five chapters included are excellent.

Only the essay, "Why Do We Smoke: The Physiology of Smoking" presents a biased, anti-smoker viewpoint by referencing many overused and unproved statistics from previous anti-smoking studies and publications. The author has increased the "annual number of premature deaths attributed to smoking", commonly referenced by anti-smoking organizations, from 400,000 to 500,000 and describes the advantages of smoking cessation aids including the anti-depressants Bupropion and Prozac.

"Smoking, Science and Medicine" and "Engineering Consumer Confidence in the Twentieth Century" are very interesting, informative and unbiased. "Marlboro Man and the Stigma of Smoking" explores the attitude of society toward smokers in the present day. "Smoking & Advertising" follows the innovative marketing techniques developed by the tobacco industry. Smokers and non-smokers alike will recognize the social engineering techniques described and being used today to influence society, de-normalize smokers and spread smoking bans. These essays definitely rate five stars.

"Smoke: A Global History of Smoking" is unique, well organized and an excellent reference source. Also, among all the unique illustrations and beautiful photos, the smoking Santa Claus (Santa Smoking Lucky Strike at Christmas - 1936) is an absolute MUST SEE!

Garnet Dawn

Illinois Smokers Rights

This book on the history of smoking is not only an articulate guide which dispenses with the "silly" notion of cancer, but it involves the reader on a sojourn that is out of this world. Explore ancient smoking, ranging from Chinese opium pipes in the 800 AD era to a more refined place called Paris where tobacco was shipped in X-Ray tubes to keep freshness.